ANNAPOLIS ROYAL ON THE MOVE HOW TO GET HERE AND AWAY BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT Four separate types of public transport operations (bus, Community Transit, taxis and shuttle services) can help you get to, from, and around Annapolis Royal and environs. Last updated June 2018 BUS COMMUNITY TRANSIT Trans County Transportation The Kings Transit Society (TCTS) is a community- buses that pass funded service for seniors, both for through town are part persons with disabilities, and others of a far-reaching who are transportation disadvantaged. network. With a fleet of 14 vehicles (8 accessible), it runs - among other A chain of bus lines connects things - a service taking people to communities on Highway 1 between medical appointments in Weymouth and Wolfville / Hants Border. Halifax / Dartmouth for From Annapolis Royal, you will have to $70 return. Pick-ups can change buses if you want to go further be anywhere in Annapolis than Bridgetown or Cornwallis. For County or western Kings more Kings Transit details, see below. County. See below. TAXI-TYPE SERVICES SHUTTLE SERVICES CONTACT DETAILS ARE SHOWN BELOW CONTACT DETAILS ARE SHOWN BELOW Annapolis Royal & Bridgetown Taxi is a more traditional taxi service offering everything Up to three shuttle services a from airport transfers to local area travel (eg an day (The Cloud Nine Shuttle evening out, transport to an appointment, a visit originating in the Yarmouth to friends, or a shopping run). It offers a area, Mariner Shuttle shopping service which includes carrying your originating in the Clare area purchases from the store to your home. Local and Kathleen's Shuttle and package collection or delivery is also offered. Tours which is based in the Pre-book if possible. Digby area) connect the town Annapolis Valley Travel, a 3-vehicle transport with Halifax and the airport. service, offers tailor-made airport transfers, Departures are in the morning shopping centre trips, medical appointment with return journeys in the transport and much more – all at times to suit afternoon. Subject to you. The company can also take you to Halifax availability, these shuttles could or the airport so that you can then connect with also be used for late afternoon the Maritime Bus network, or shuttle services on travel from Annapolis Royal to Cape Breton Island. Pre-booking is necessary. the French Shore / Yarmouth. To / from the Digby – Saint John ferry: Bay Ferries' MV Fundy Rose crosses between Saint John (New Brunswick) and Digby (Nova Scotia) at least once daily year round (weather permitting). The terminus of the ferry between is 35km - 42km from Annapolis Royal (depending on whether you use Highway 1 or Highway 101). By car or taxi this should take 35 -40 minutes. The ferry terminus is just over 5km from downtown Digby. Cheapest - and slowest - way to travel between Annapolis Royal and the ferry terminal (or vice versa) would be to take a Kings Transit bus (every two hours, Monday – Saturday only, $3.50) between Annapolis Royal and Digby and then a taxi between downtown Digby and the ferry terminus (approx $12). Try Admiral's Taxi (902 245 4542), Basin Taxi (902 245 4408), or Digby Cab (902 245 6162). Other options between Annapolis Royal and the ferry terminal would be a taxi (try Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown Taxi or Annapolis Valley Travel – contact details below for both - or one of the Digby-based taxi companies mentioned above: expect to pay around $45-$55. TCTS (Community Transit) are another possibility. Pre-booking will be required for TCTS and the Annapolis taxi companies. To / from hospital appointments in Middleton or Kentville The cheapest way to get to Middleton's Soldiers Memorial Hospital or the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville is to take Kings Transit buses. You will have to change buses in Bridgetown to/from Middleton, and in Bridgetown and Greenwood to/from Kentville. A bus leaving Annapolis Royal around 7.20am will get you to Soldiers Memorial Hospital around 8.40am. Leave Annapolis Arrive Soldiers Memorial Arrive Valley Regional Royal Hospital, Middleton Hospital, Kentville Change buses in Bridgetown Bridgetown & Greenwood (One hour's wait in Greenwood) 7:20am 8:40am 11:20am 9:20am 10:40am 1:20pm 11:20am 12:40pm 3:20pm 1:20pm 2:40pm 5:20pm Other options (pre-booking will be required) between Annapolis Royal and the two hospitals would be TCTS or a taxi (try Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown Taxi or Annapolis Valley Travel) : contact details for all three are shown below. To / from Yarmouth or the Yarmouth – Portland (USA) ferry The CAT ferry (1 877 762 7245; www.ferries.ca ) crosses between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine (USA) 5 – 7 times weekly 08 June – 08 October. As the departure from Yarmouth is early morning and arrival late evening, only a taxi (eg Annapolis Valley Travel) will allow you a same-day connection. Otherwise, Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown Taxi or TCTS (for those requiring accessible transport)) are possibilities, as are the three shuttle companies. Contact details for all these companies are shown below. In addition, Yarmouth Town Taxi (902 742 7801) is a licensed, Yarmouth-based taxi company. TO / FROM HALIFAX AIRPORT If you do not drive, do not want to drive, and don't have a friend or relative who can drive you, what are your options should you need to go to – or come back from – Halifax Airport ? There are two common methods of travelling between the Annapolis Royal area and the airport: shuttle services and taxi-type services. The scheduled departure and / or arrival time of your flight is likely to limit which method(s) may be relevant to you. If you need to be at the airport in the morning or need to be picked up from the airport in mid-afternoon or later, taxi-type services are the only realistic option. SHUTTLE SERVICES are an option for TAXI OR TAXI-TYPE SERVICES a) Passengers with flights departing in the afternoon If two or more passengers (or evening, if you don't mind hanging around) are travelling together, b) Passengers with flights arriving between midnight / Annapolis Royal and early morning (if you don't mind hanging around) and Bridgetown Taxi and lunchtime. Annapolis Valley Travel If you don't fit these categories, one of the taxi-type (contact details below) are services is your best bet. the best choices. They offer Three companies - Mariner Shuttle, The Cloud Nine more convenient services – Shuttle and Kathleen's Shuttle & Tours - connect they will take you to or Annapolis Royal with the airport: not all run every day. from the airport at a time See shuttle company contact details on page 8. that suits you and your Shuttles to the Airport tend to pass through flight. Annapolis Royal between about 8:45am and 10:00am If you are travelling alone, a arriving at the airport around noon. Check with the shuttle service might well be shuttle operator and airline if your outgoing flight is due cheaper, but you might have to leave before 1:30pm (for flights within Canada) or more waiting around time. 3pm (for international flights). Taxi or Taxi-type services are For Shuttles from the Airport, check with the shuttle your best bet for morning or operator if your flight is due to land at 1:30pm or later: it can take quite a bit of time to get from the plane to the late afternoon departures shuttle departure area.... and arrivals. The best option for passengers requiring accessible airport transport is TCTS (see below). SLOW, AND NOT SO SURE - Chains of buses The nearest places that “long distance” buses come to Annapolis Royal are the Maritime Bus terminals at Kentville and Wolfville. But three Kings Transit (see below) bus lines must be used to travel between Annapolis Royal and Kentville or Wolfville (note that Kings Transit does not operate on Sundays). Between Wolfville / Kentville and the airport, a change of bus - usually in Dartmouth or Halifax – is necessary. Although this is the cheapest method of using public transport between the Annapolis Royal area and the airport, the overall journey (costing around $41) is only likely to save about $35 over a shuttle. We do not recommend using a chain of buses to get to/ from the airport. Apart from ludicrously long journey times (a minimum of around six hours going, over eight hours coming back), using five separate buses greatly increases the chances of something going wrong. Airlines and travel insurance companies would be unlikely to help out if you missed your flight, and for those coming back from the airport, a missed connection could mean having to pay for a hotel en route. Rather than a clever money-saver, this could really turn out to be a false economy. To / From Halifax As with Halifax Airport (see above), shuttles (see below) departing Annapolis Royal around 9-9:30am will get you to Halifax around lunchtime. If you intend to return the same day, you won't have long in the city as the shuttles leave a couple of hours later. Taxi-type services (see below) will take you door-to-door at a time that suits you, then (if you wish) pick you up at an agreed time and bring you back home. Best option for those with a hospital appointment in Halifax is TCTS (see below) who will take you door-to-door, wait for you, and bring you back home for a very reasonable rate. Slowest and cheapest way to the city is to take three Kings Transit buses (one to Bridgetown, one from there to Greenwood, then a bus to Wolfville: all Monday-Saturday only) and then take Maritime Bus (see below) from Wolfville to Halifax.